19th Century WI

19th Century Wisconsin

La Crosse & Prairie du Chien, WI

June 12-13, 2 days, 4 meals

Explore Wisconsin's rich history along the Great River Road.
This is a great overnight trip for the first-timer!

Day 1

HIXON HOUSE: Built in 1859 by prominent lumber baron Godeon Hixon, just 10 years after Wisconsin's statehood, this Victorian-era Italianate structure boasts nearly all its original furnishings. Elegance in what was still a relatively wild part of the country!SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE: In the tradition of pilgrimage churches, the Shrine Church is located high upon a hill with a campanile and dome which are visible from afar.INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDENS: Celebrate La Crosse's sister-city relationships with communities in China, Germany, Russia, France, Norway and Ireland with this collection of blooms and beauty.LA CROSSE QUEEN DINNER CRUISE: Cruising out of this important Mississippi River port city, La Crosse Queen is one of the few authentic Mississippi River paddlewheel river boats still in operation in the United States. Imagine yourself a fur trader or lumber baron of the 1900s on this modern-day replica riverboat!

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Day 2

VILLA LOUIS: After a beautiful drive along Wisconsin's Great River Road and the mighty Mississippi River, experience Victorian life during the 19th century as you visit the estate of the Dousmans, one of Wisconsin's most prosperous families.STONEFIELD: From 1800s machinery to a re-created rural village, travel back in time at Stonefield - the kind of agricultural community that cultivated Wisconsin's growth.PENDARVIS: Pendarvis traces its beginnings to Wisconsin's territorial lead-mining heyday druing the 1840s and '50s, when many immigrant Cornish miners settled in Mineral Point to work the mines. What remains today is a collection of stone and stone-and-log cottages built by these immigrants in the tradition of their native Cornwall.

ACTIVITY LEVEL 3 / HEAVY WALKING: Physical stamina required.
Stair climbing, longer periods of walking and/or standing may
be involved, along with higher elevations and longer days.
Participants must be able to keep up with group.